Into the Bears’ Den: January Review – Grizzlies biggest storyline
In this week’s edition of “Into the Bears’ Den,” our writers review the Grizzlies’ performance in January. What are some of the biggest storylines?
There may not be ground-breaking headlines like the Bulls instagram saga, Melo trade drama or LeBron demanding another playmaker. But that’s how the Grizzlies roll. No drama. Care-free. Strictly business (or should I say … grizzness).
In our third segment of “Into the Bears’ Den: January Review,” Parker Fleming, Jackson Munyon, Jakob Eliason, Jerrod Smith and Jake Finnen share their picks on the Grizzlies’ biggest storyline.
Follow them on Twitter for some of the greatest tweets of all time.
Parker Fleming (@PAKA_FLOCKA): Players returning
There’s one silver lining behind the Grizzlies’ wildly inconsistent month: health. As I’m typing this, I’m knocking on any wood I can find, but players are returning at the right time. While key Western Conference players Chris Paul and Enes Kanter are out, now’s a perfect time to make a surge up the rankings. Chandler Parsons is seeing more minutes and finding his shot. Mike Conley plays like he didn’t break his back two months ago. Also, in case you forgot about him, Brandan Wright is back. IF this team can stay healthy, they could be a dangerous team in the playoffs.
Could we also talk about Chandler Parsons and Johnny Manziel are best friends? That’s a cool story!
Related Story: Chandler & Johnny: BFFs
Jackson Munyon (jackson_munyon04): Inconsistency
The Memphis Grizzlies continued to show little signs of consistency throughout the month of January. Marc Gasol solidified his All-Star campaign with stellar play, but unfortunately that didn’t always translate to wins for the Grizz.
Memphis had several opportunities for victories against weaker opponents but were either out-shot, out-rebounded or straight up out-hustled. A prime example of this was the loss to the Lakers. D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young put on a shooting clinic in route to an upset win over the Grizzlies.
Jakob Eliason (jakobeliason): Chandler Parsons
Hi, haters. My twitter handle is @jakobeliason, and my DM’s are WIDE OPEN.
It’s time to understand the CP25 hate is completely ridiculous. Coming from an injury that took him away from full-speed basketball for over seven months would put 99-percent of the complainers out of the game for eternity.
The Grizzlies signed Parsons for four years. There is no reason to rush a recovery for an athlete that will be a cornerstone of our franchise when healthy. How would you react if the opposite happened? Would you prefer to play him 30 minutes a night and risk another injury that REALLY costs us? No, you wouldn’t.
Reminder: We’re 12-9 in games that he’s played. That’s a winning record.
Jerrod Smith (@jerrod_smith7): Inconsistency
For me, the fact that the Grizzlies struggle with consistency doesn’t surprise me.
Guys have been in and out of the lineup all season and roles are still not defined completely. Then, with Chandler Parsons still working his way back into the lineup and still resting on the second night of back-to-backs, that gives the rotation a twist. But there’s also no reason for losses to teams like the Lakers and Bulls.
Hopefully, in the upcoming months, the Grizzlies can pile up wins against weaker teams to help contend for the 4th or 5th seed in this tightly-knitted Western Conference playoff race.
Jake Finnen (#Twitterless): Why does Tony Allen have the ball so much?
I know I’m not the only thinking that Tony Allen should NOT have the ball in his hands as much as he does. On fast breaks? Absolutely. Pass it to him every time and let him dunk the bejeezus out of it, but don’t let him bring the ball up the court and try to run the offense. I’m not really sure why it keeps happening, but I don’t like it. Not even because I want the Grizzlies to win, because it doesn’t end well. His dribble-left, dribble-right combo…isn’t really a combo at all. He just runs at the rim while dribbling and two or three times a game, he’ll end up dribbling it off his foot. I mean, come on Harrison, demand the ball, and be the savior we all need you to be.
...and I didn’t even mention Tony Allen’s passing